Best Phoenix Concerts in December 2026: Full Guide

Key Takeaways For Phoenix Concerts In December 2026

• December 2026 in Phoenix runs on two parallel calendars: holiday spectacles and contemporary touring shows that rarely overlap.
• Room sizes range from large arenas to intimate museum theaters, and ticket prices often sit closer than the discovery gap between them.
• Support slots like Josiah and the Bonnevilles opening for Sam Barber and Rachel Chinouriri for Gracie Abrams offer strong value for fans tracking rising artists.
• New Year’s Eve needs its own plan, with Decadence Arizona at Phoenix Raceway as the dominant 18+ outdoor festival option.
• OnesToWatch Live highlights roster dates, flags room size, explains support acts, and links directly to tickets while connecting holiday spectacles with contemporary tours.

Explore December 2026 Phoenix Concerts

OnesToWatch Roster Dates To Lock In Early

These OnesToWatch roster dates in Phoenix sit at the center of the December calendar. Pick your night, secure the ticket, and track these artists before they move into larger rooms.

Ripe — Play the Game Fall Tour 2026
Tuesday, December 1, 2026 | Crescent Ballroom | Phoenix, AZ

Get Ripe Tickets At Crescent Ballroom

Gracie Abrams — The Look at My Life Tour
Wednesday, December 9, 2026 | Desert Diamond Arena | Glendale, AZ

See Gracie Abrams Live — December 9

Gracie Abrams — The Look at My Life Tour
Thursday, December 10, 2026 | Desert Diamond Arena | Glendale, AZ

See Gracie Abrams Live — December 10

Josiah and the Bonnevilles — Supporting Sam Barber, The American Route Tour
Friday, December 11, 2026 | Arizona Financial Theatre | Phoenix, AZ

Secure Tickets For Sam Barber With Josiah And The Bonnevilles

Contemporary Arena And Theater Headliners

The contemporary touring calendar runs from December 1 through mid-month across Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale and Arizona Financial Theatre in downtown Phoenix.

1. Rush — Fifty Something Tour
   Tuesday, December 1 & Thursday, December 3, 2026 | Desert Diamond Arena | Glendale, AZ, 7:30 PM.

   Tickets for the December 1 show start at $184 on TickPick, with other marketplaces listing get-in prices from about $124 to $245. The two-night run gives fans a chance to hear one of rock’s most technically demanding catalogs in a large-room setting.

2. Gracie Abrams — The Look At My Life Tour
   Wednesday, December 9 & Thursday, December 10, 2026 | Desert Diamond Arena | Glendale, AZ, 8:00 PM.

   Rachel Chinouriri supports both nights, and together these shows anchor the month’s contemporary calendar. OnesToWatch has tracked Abrams since her earliest releases, making her a clear example of the roster-to-arena trajectory the platform exists to document.

   As of late October 2026, the lowest get-in price for December 9 was around $25–$37, depending on the tracker. SeatData listed $25, while EventWorld listed $27.

   For December 10, resellers listed starting prices between about $22 and $46. That range makes December 10 the better value of the two Glendale dates. Arrive early for Rachel Chinouriri’s set.

Watch Gracie Abrams perform live to get a sense of the arena show she brings to Glendale.

Gracie Abrams Tickets — December 9

Gracie Abrams Tickets — December 10 (Better Value)

3. Alt. AZ 93-3 Presents The Ugly Sweater Holiday Party — Sublime, Slightly Stoopid, Codefendants
   Friday, December 11, 2026 | Desert Diamond Arena | Glendale, AZ, 7:30 PM.

   Sublime announced their first new album in 30 years in March 2026, which gives this holiday party current-release momentum. Tickets start at approximately $46.

4. Tyla — The A*POP World Tour
   Monday, December 14, 2026 | Arizona Financial Theatre | Phoenix, AZ, 8:00 PM.

   This 5,000-seat theater date fits the OnesToWatch thesis closely, with a fast-rising artist stepping into a mid-size room.

5. Pentatonix — Christmas In The City Tour
   Saturday, December 19, 2026 | Desert Diamond Arena | Glendale, AZ, 7:00 PM.

   As of October 29, 2026, resale tickets start from about US$38 on Gigsberg, with fees and taxes additional and prices subject to change. This closing arena show sits at the intersection of the holiday and contemporary calendars.

Holiday And Christmas Concerts Across Phoenix

The holiday calendar drives most December concert searches in Phoenix, and Trans-Siberian Orchestra remains the default recommendation in many guides. TSO brings a proven arena-scale rock spectacle, with two shows at Mortgage Matchup Center on December 6 at 3:00 PM and 7:30 PM, and tickets starting from about $76 all-in. For fans focused on a single holiday arena event, it is a reliable choice.

TSO functions as a self-contained spectacle with no discovery layer. OnesToWatch Live covers the same holiday window while also surfacing the Gracie Abrams arena run, the Josiah and the Bonnevilles support slot, and the Ripe small-room date, all with room to grow. Fans who want only the holiday spectacle can stop at TSO. Listeners who also want to discover the next wave of artists can keep reading through the broader calendar.

Additional holiday programming across the metro:

• Phoenix Symphony Holiday Pops Spectacular — December 4–6, 2026, Phoenix Symphony Hall (2,312 seats). Note: on October 20, 2026, The Phoenix Symphony’s Board of Directors announced it would suspend the remaining 2026–27 performances and programs following its scheduled November 1, 2026 performance due to a financial shortfall. Verify current status before purchasing tickets for any Phoenix Symphony program.
• Ballet Arizona’s The Nutcracker — December 11–27, 2026, Phoenix Symphony Hall. Features Tchaikovsky’s score performed live by The Phoenix Symphony and more than 100,000 Austrian Swarovski crystals in the Snow Scene. Symphony Hall programming continues under Ballet Arizona’s own production.
• MIM Holiday Series — The Musical Instrument Museum Music Theater runs a full December holiday series including The Klezmatics (Dec 2), The Four Freshmen (Dec 4), Irish Christmas in America (Dec 6), Storm Large (Dec 8), Canadian Brass (Dec 10), Jake Shimabukuro (Dec 12), David Benoit (Dec 15), Phoenix Boys Choir (Dec 18), The Milk Carton Kids (Dec 19), and Jim Brickman (Dec 29). Shimabukuro performs his “Holidays in Hawaii” concert on Saturday, December 12, with shows at 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. and again on December 13, while the Phoenix Boys Choir appears December 18 as part of its Holiday Concert Series.
• Celtic Woman — Symphony Christmas — Sunday, December 6, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. at the Virginia G. Piper Theater at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts in Scottsdale, AZ.
• Candlelight: Christmas Classics — multiple Phoenix-area performances in December 2026, including December 17 at Whiteman Hall at Phoenix Art Museum and December 24 at The Camby Hotel, plus additional dates such as December 20 at First United Methodist Church of Mesa.
• Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland — Saturday, December 19, 2026 at the Tom and Janet Ikeda Theater at Mesa Arts Center in Mesa, Arizona.

While holiday programming dominates much of December, the month also offers a handful of heavy music and multi-act bills for fans who prefer louder sounds.

Heavy Music And Multi-Act Bills

Trivium, In Flames, and Orbit Culture open the month’s heavy calendar on Wednesday, December 2, 2026 at 6:30 PM at Arizona Financial Theatre in Phoenix, AZ. The bill presents three featured bands without a clearly separated headliner tier.

Eyes Set To Kill — Saturday, December 19, 2026 at Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix. The Arizona alternative-metal band tops a hometown-adjacent multi-act lineup with support from Sicksense, Twist It, Cuntrol, and Sorry X.

Beyond heavy music, December also brings a focused run of country and Americana shows, including a key OnesToWatch support slot.

Country And Americana Highlights

Josiah And The Bonnevilles open for Sam Barber on The American Route Tour on Friday, December 11, 2026, at Arizona Financial Theatre in Phoenix. This support-slot moment reflects the OnesToWatch thesis clearly, with an emerging artist playing in front of a 5,000-seat room on a ticket that often costs less than many arena headliner seats.

Watch Josiah And The Bonnevilles live to understand how this support slot functions as a discovery opportunity.

Get Tickets For Sam Barber With Josiah And The Bonnevilles

Additional country and Americana shows across the metro:

• Larry Fleet — Wednesday, December 2, 2026, Gila River Resorts & Casinos – Wild Horse Pass, Chandler. Tickets start at $35 plus taxes and fees, per the venue’s official event page.
• Clay Walker — Friday, December 4, 2026, Gila River Resorts & Casinos – Wild Horse Pass, Chandler. Tickets start at $50 plus taxes and fees, per the venue’s official event page.
• Hudson Westbrook — Wednesday, December 9, 2026 at 7:00 PM at Mullett Arena in Tempe, rescheduled from October 2, 2026. Tickets start at approximately $37.49 according to TixScape, with higher starting prices on some other resale sources.
• Old Dominion — Sunday, December 13, 2026 at 8:00 PM at the Salt River Grand Ballroom at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale. Tickets from $122, with demand flagged as high and availability limited.
• Sawyer Brown — Saturday, December 12, 2026, Gila River Resorts & Casinos – Wild Horse Pass, Chandler. Tickets start at $55 plus taxes and fees, per the official venue event page.
• Yaelokre — Wednesday, December 16, 2026 at 8:00 PM at Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix, with special guest Ben Caplan. General admission tickets start at $25 plus fees, per the venue’s listing.

Many of the month’s most compelling discovery plays happen in small rooms, where the distance between artist and audience stays tight.

Small-Room Shows To Catch First

The most actionable fact in any concert guide is room size. The smaller the room, the faster the window closes on seeing an artist before they move up. The shows below represent that closing window.

Ripe — Play The Game Fall Tour 2026
Tuesday, December 1, 2026 | Crescent Ballroom | Phoenix, AZ (capacity 550). Month-opening small-room flag. Advance general admission tickets are $25 plus fees, with day-of-show tickets at $30 plus fees.

Watch Ripe in a club setting to understand how their live show fills a 550-cap room.

Get Ripe Tickets In Phoenix

Additional small-room shows worth noting:

• Letdown. — Wednesday, December 2, 2026 at 7:00 pm at Valley Bar in downtown Phoenix. Advance general admission starts at $18 plus fees, with secondary-market get-in prices tracked as low as $32.
• Babe Haven — Thursday, December 3, 2026, The Rebel Lounge, Phoenix (standing-room capacity around 300). Advance tickets start at $19 plus fees, per promoter Psyko Steve Presents.
• The Kilans — Saturday, December 5, 2026 at Valley Bar on the Could You Keep It Dark? Tour with Jade Street. Advance general admission starts at $20 plus fees, with day-of-show GA at $23 plus fees.
• The Pineapple Thief — Saturday, December 5, 2026, Crescent Ballroom, Phoenix. Tickets start at $35 for general admission, with bleacher seating at higher price tiers.
• Nimino — Saturday, December 12, 2026, The Van Buren, Phoenix. 18+. Tickets on sale via the venue and standard outlets.
• ZULAN — Friday, December 11, 2026, The Van Buren, Phoenix. 18+. Check venue listings for current pricing.
• Oliver Hazard — Saturday, December 12, 2026 at 7:30 pm at Valley Bar as part of The Waterville Tour. Advance general admission is $25 plus fees, with day-of-show GA at $30 plus fees. Availability is already limited.

Browse All Phoenix Concert Listings

New Year’s Eve In Phoenix

Decadence Arizona 2026 — “Sands Of Eternity”
Wednesday–Thursday, December 30–31, 2026 | Phoenix Raceway, 7602 Jimmie Johnson Drive, Avondale, AZ. Doors 6:00 PM nightly, music until a 3:00 AM curfew.

Phoenix New Times identifies Decadence Arizona as the Valley’s biggest New Year’s Eve blowout, a two-night electronic festival with multiple stages, a silent disco, roaming performers, and large-scale laser production. The 2026 lineup includes Chris Lake, SLANDER, Eli Brown, ISOxo, and Disclosure (DJ Set). As of early October 2026, two-day GA passes start at $339.99 through the festival’s site and Tixr, up from $299.99 at the July 31 on-sale and expected to rise further by December.

The event is 18+, cashless, and does not permit same-day re-entry. Late-December nights at Phoenix Raceway typically average in the mid-40s°F, with colder nights dropping below 40°F, so layering matters. Free general parking opens at 4:00 PM at Entry G.

Phoenix Symphony New Year’s Eve Celebration — The Phoenix Symphony had planned a New Year’s Eve Celebration with Champagne Toast on Thursday, December 31, 2026, at Symphony Hall featuring Arturo Sandoval and his band, but that concert is no longer scheduled following the suspension of the 2026–27 season. Confirm status independently before building plans around it.

Additional December Concert Mentions

These one-line entries round out the broader December calendar without repeating shows covered in detail above.

• Pedro Fernández — Friday, December 4, Arizona Financial Theatre, Phoenix. Tickets start at $59 on TickPick.
• Udit Narayan & Aditya — Sunday, December 6, Arizona Financial Theatre, Phoenix, with tickets starting from $59 per the Downtown Phoenix listing.
• The James Hunter Six — Saturday, December 5, MIM Music Theater, Phoenix. Tickets start at $64 on the secondary market, according to SeatData’s lowest available get-in price.
• Victor Wooten And The Wooten Brothers — Monday, December 14, MIM Music Theater, Phoenix, with shows at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
• Mike Stern — Thursday, December 17, MIM Music Theater, Phoenix, with shows at 6:30 PM and 8:30 PM.
• The Strike — Sunday, December 13, Crescent Ballroom, Phoenix.
• Arizona Hip Hop Festival — Saturday, December 12, 9th & Jackson, 317 S. Ninth Ave., Phoenix. Headlined by C.O.E. Yante. GA tickets range from $37.51 to $72.54, per Phoenix New Times.
• Candlelight: Christmas Classics — December 17–24, multiple Phoenix-area venues, with programming overlapping the broader holiday candlelight series.

Search More December Shows

Patterns And Takeaways From The December Calendar

Four patterns define Phoenix’s December 2026 concert landscape. Holiday programming and contemporary touring run in parallel with almost no overlap, so a fan who reads only one type of guide misses half the month. The room-size gradient is steep, with large arenas, intimate museum theaters, and everything between, and the ticket price difference between a small-room show and an arena show often stays narrower than the discovery gap.

Support slots function as the month’s most undervalued tickets. Josiah And The Bonnevilles opening for Sam Barber at Arizona Financial Theatre and Rachel Chinouriri opening for Gracie Abrams at Desert Diamond both feature OnesToWatch-caliber artists playing in front of rooms they are likely to headline within a touring cycle or two. New Year’s Eve operates as its own market, with Decadence Arizona at Phoenix Raceway as the dominant option that requires separate planning because of its 18+ policy, cashless setup, outdoor setting, and cold overnight temperatures.

The OnesToWatch roster turns these patterns into practical choices. Phoenix concert calendars list roughly a dozen to about 15 December 2026 concerts at metro venues without a clear point of view. This guide highlights the shows that involve artists whose trajectories justify a ticket and pairs that context with direct checkout links.

Plan Your December Concert Schedule

Practical Reader Guidance For December 2026

Sequencing the month helps avoid conflicts. The first week (Dec 1–7) is the densest for small-room and holiday programming, with Ripe at Crescent Ballroom on December 1, Trivium and In Flames at Arizona Financial Theatre on December 2, and Trans-Siberian Orchestra at Mortgage Matchup Center on December 6. The second week (Dec 8–14) marks the contemporary touring peak, anchored by Gracie Abrams’ two Desert Diamond nights and the Sam Barber and Josiah and the Bonnevilles show at Arizona Financial Theatre. The third week (Dec 15–21) leans heavily toward holiday programming, while New Year’s Eve stands alone at the end of the month.

Room size versus price also shapes decisions. The MIM Music Theater and the Music Hall at Valley Bar offer the smallest rooms and some of the lowest ticket prices of the month. Crescent Ballroom sits in the mid-tier small-room range. Arizona Financial Theatre and Desert Diamond Arena represent the theater and arena tiers, where some dates, such as the better-value Gracie Abrams night mentioned earlier, can still undercut small-room prices on a per-ticket basis.

Occasion routing can narrow the field quickly. For a date night with discovery intent, consider Ripe at Crescent Ballroom on December 1 or Josiah and the Bonnevilles supporting Sam Barber at Arizona Financial Theatre on December 11. For a family holiday outing, the MIM Holiday Series or Ballet Arizona’s The Nutcracker offer structured, seasonal programming in seated venues.

Conclusion: Why OnesToWatch Live Leads This Guide

OnesToWatch Live functions as the most useful concerts-in-Phoenix-December-2026 guide for live-music fans because it connects roster dates, room-size context, support-act detail, and direct ticket links while balancing holiday spectacles with contemporary tours. The roster has grown over more than ten years and 850-plus artists. Gracie Abrams appeared on it before stepping into arenas. Josiah And The Bonnevilles sit on it now, opening at Arizona Financial Theatre in December. Ripe appears on it while playing Crescent Ballroom on December 1.

Seeing these artists at this stage means catching them before they move into consistently larger rooms. Find the date, secure the ticket, and keep track of how these careers develop, knowing OnesToWatch Live follows every show on the OnesToWatch roster.

Start With OnesToWatch Live Dates

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are The Biggest Concerts In Phoenix In December 2026?

The largest shows by venue capacity include Gracie Abrams on December 9 and 10 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Trans-Siberian Orchestra on December 6 at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, and Pentatonix on December 19 at Desert Diamond Arena. Rush plays Desert Diamond Arena on December 1 and 3. Sam Barber with Josiah and the Bonnevilles plays Arizona Financial Theatre on December 11, and Tyla plays the same theater on December 14.

Are There Holiday Concerts In Phoenix In December 2026?

Yes. Trans-Siberian Orchestra plays two shows on December 6 at Mortgage Matchup Center. Pentatonix brings its Christmas in the City Tour to Desert Diamond Arena on December 19. The Musical Instrument Museum runs a full holiday series throughout December including Storm Large, Jake Shimabukuro, David Benoit, the Phoenix Boys Choir, and Jim Brickman. Ballet Arizona’s Nutcracker runs December 11–27 at Phoenix Symphony Hall. Candlelight holiday programs run December 17–24 at multiple venues. Note that the Phoenix Symphony suspended its 2026–27 season in October 2026, so verify the status of any Phoenix Symphony-branded programming before purchasing tickets.

What Is The Best New Year’s Eve Concert Or Event In Phoenix For 2026?

Decadence Arizona 2026, themed “Sands of Eternity,” is the largest confirmed New Year’s Eve event in the Phoenix metro. It runs December 30–31 at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, with headliners including Chris Lake, SLANDER, Eli Brown, ISOxo, and Disclosure as the NYE countdown act. Two-night tickets start at $339.99 via Tixr. The event is 18+, cashless, outdoor, and does not permit re-entry. Temperatures at the venue drop into the 40s°F overnight, so layering is essential. Free parking is available at Entry G.

Who Is Opening For Gracie Abrams In Glendale In December 2026?

Rachel Chinouriri is the support act for both Gracie Abrams dates at Desert Diamond Arena on December 9 and December 10, 2026. Both shows start at 8:00 PM. The December 10 date is flagged in this guide as the better-value option based on tracked starting prices.

Where Can I Find Small-Room Shows In Phoenix In December 2026?

The small-room calendar centers on Ripe at Crescent Ballroom on December 1, which opens the month and offers a clear small-room window on the OnesToWatch roster. Other options include Letdown. at Music Hall at Valley Bar on December 2, Babe Haven at The Rebel Lounge on December 3, The Kilans at Music Hall at Valley Bar on December 5, The Pineapple Thief at Crescent Ballroom on December 5, and Yaelokre at Crescent Ballroom on December 16. The MIM Music Theater hosts a full holiday series throughout the month. These rooms provide close-range views that become harder to find once artists move into larger spaces.